Hey Poet ♥️ I had to put my bird and companion of 12 years to sleep earlier today... I was hoping it would be okay to request Molly, Kingsley, Ashton and Caduceus comforting a Ranger SO (friend in Cad’s case) who had their beast companion pass away? I hope it’s not too grim of a prompt, thanks a lot either way! And thank you for what you do, your lovely writing brings joy to many people :)
Oh darling I'm so sorry. We also recently had a family pet put to sleep and it is very hard, but know that you provided your lil friend a wonderful life and that's something to make it easier as time passes 🩶
Comforting Ranger!GN!Reader
Ashton 💚
Is the shoulder to cry on that you've always needed. They're a strong presence, someone reliable to lean on, something physical and real to keep you grounded and help you not lose yourself in feelings.
They say they have difficulty with words, but Ashton surprises even himself with the soft tone and even softer things he offers you. Little phrases of encouragement, of how things will get better, and how you're not going to carry this alone. You have him and friends who care about you - he ignores the hot feeling in his face when your teary eyes meet his upon the confession - and pulls you into their side with a soft "I got you."
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Caduceus 💜
Arguably the best person on the list to console you after losing someone you held dear. If it's something you'd like, he'll organise a little ceremony - allow memories of the good and fun moments shared with your companion to take centre stage. It's a happy occasion, with friends in attendance, a celebration of their life, their love, and how they made a home in your heart.
Cad takes time out of his day to sit with you, share tea and treats and the quiet tranquility of his porch, content to give you silent support but even more eager to offer counsel if that's what you seek. He understands how you're feeling, and guides you through them with careful, attentive ease.
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Molly 💜
He knows what it's like to mourn a life, be that of a friend's or the past that he will never truly know. He makes sure that as you're processing this change in your life, that you continue to look after yourself. He ensures that you eat, even if you don't feel hungry. He washes your hair and cleans your face, helps you change into fresh clothes, coaxes you outdoors to feel warm sunlight on your skin. He wants to remind you to keep living, to enjoy it just as your pet beast did.
Life moves on. It always will. Your animal came into your life unexpectedly, just as you came into Molly's life. He's there for you, to get you through the day, the week, the month, and beyond. It happens gradually, as all wounds heal, but eventually he sees you smile at him more and he knows it hurts a little less. He smiles back, all teeth and pride for you.
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Kingsley 💜
He's still discovering the big emotions that come with experiencing life. Grief is one of them. He fumbles in the beginning, and is scared to say anything in the fear of hurting you further, but he feels more confident after you melt into his arms and let him hold you for who knows how long. He realises later that a distraction can help further along healing.
So that's what Kingsley does. He spends more time with you, takes you sailing and has you steer the ship (with his professional supervision of course). He drags you into dances along the deck and sings you songs before bed. He holds your hand as you fall asleep, and tells you how grateful he is that you're there with him. Thanks you for giving him that - just as you had given your familiar that.
Hello! I love your work! And I can understand being a full time student... It sucks. Anyway, I was wondering if you could write some headcanons of the M9 with a reader who has been holding back their power for fear of the rest of the group hating/fearing them? Then it like comes out during a battle or something? Go wild! Romanic or platonic which ever one you prefer!!! Hope this isn't too long....
Hello! Sorry for the wait. Things have been... a mess of late but here it is so I hope it was worth it and lives up to your expectations. 😘
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(Caleb)
From the moment Caleb met you, the two of you instantly bonded over your fondness for the arcane but for that very same reason he held you at arm’s length for the longest of times. Caleb has a difficult past with magic users like him, like you and trust does not come easily despite the fact he genuinely likes you. So when he told you his former master had the annoying habit to poke around in people’s minds, you simply vowed to keep your ability to do the same a secret, never using it again.
You may have lost self control when faced with his former master and the lowkey threats Trent made, the way Caleb responded, and froze did not sit well with you. You let go of that barrier by accident, allowing your own mind to pierce through the archmage’s and see some of the dirty little secrets he keeps, and made him aware of that fact, in doing so as well as the rest of the Mighty Nein. Caleb did not share in the confusion of the others of how you attained this knowledge as he recognised the look of his former master, one he’d seen many times. Once the immediate threat was dealt with and you were alone again Caleb refused to acknowledge your presence.
Confrontation is unavoidable, Caleb knows. He just needed time to process. In doing so, and blocking you out entirely he’d lost sight of how it affected you until he was ready to face you. He saw the hurt he caused and hated every second of it, regretted it. He worked with Beau to make the discovery of your ability a talking point, in the hopes you were willing to answer questions and when you revealed your motives for keeping this secret, he just felt sorry for you. He’ll help you gain an understanding of your affinity to pierce minds if you wish and little by little will become more comfortable with this power simply because of who you are and how you wield it.
(Beau)
Hating nothing more than hypocrites and people that try to control others Beau does not hold back from letting those people know exactly what she thinks of them. You can gather that the ability to sometimes make people do your bidding with a few carefully picked words falls into the same category and if your chosen target is unable to resist your charm, they’ll be at your mercy. It’s a terrible thing to have and more a curse you desperately want to be rid of than a divine blessing.
Having lost the upper hand entirely and the situation spinning out of control you resorted to the final measure, in the hopes to avoid bloodshed, and quite possibly the death. The effects of your charm are entirely visible when it takes hold and when you got the ringleader of your opponents along with some of their lackeys to suddenly stand down, it became clear it was you, no questions were asked as you urged everyone to leave, but Beau refused to lose grip on your arm throughout your escape.
Beau dropped into a rant about what’s up, what happened and how you did it, barely giving you a moment to answer her questions and explain yourself between your own panting from the energy you just drained by using your charm. Beau explains she doesn’t hate you for keeping it a secret nor for having this power in the first place. If anything she understands being born with a burden you’re forced to bear and no way out. If you want to get rid of this power she will read every book available to the Cobalt Soul and exhaust their resources for you. Though, it’s quite hot when you speak in that tone you do when charming people… Might have other consensual uses too…
(Fjord)
It’s no secret to Fjord you come from a controlling family who’s expectations you were unable to live up to. If anything he applauds you for fighting free and leaving those people behind. Though, the more time you spent with him and the more he learns about you the more questions pop up and the more pieces seem to be missing. Not even his suave talking can get you to spill the secrets there and if he’s honest, it’s a little frustrating.
Another argument arises and worse than the ones before. You’re siding with Caleb and Jester. He sides with Beau while the others remain neutral and at one point Fjord strikes a chord. How are you able to make this decision when you’re always the one to shy away from conflicting emotions? That’s enough. Conflicting emotions indeed. Fjord watched you lose control for the first time and found out exactly why you try to avoid the things you do. He still can’t help his curiosity though. When the others step away distancing themselves, he steps forward.
The fur growing, teeth sharpening and eyes changing to a golden yellow, halfway through turning into something monstrous. That is your curse to bear. You try and fight off the lycanthropic transition, letting the pain run through and where you thought you’d be shunned, it’s Fjord rubbing your back, whispering all will be alright and you’re still you that makes you actually believe him. If anything, to him it’s pretty awesome you’re a werewolf and he’d love to learn more about lycanthropy if you’d let him.
(Veth)
Veth doesn’t know about your life before you joined the Nein. Some questions were asked of course but the subject seemed too touchy to approach, which despite curiosity, can be respected due to the implied severity. That doesn’t mean she hasn’t rifled through your things because what if you’d be a danger to her boy? She just couldn’t help herself. She found a letter addressed to you, from your mother it seemed; asking if you were enjoying your adventures. Veth seemed to miss the sarcasm in these words, as well as the implied threat demanding your return to your home.
Turns out Veth wrote a letter on your behalf, telling your ‘mother’ you’re doing well and where your adventures have taken you, will take you and maybe you’d pass by soon. Turns out that was a terrible terrible idea and came back to haunt everyone because now you’re fighting your ‘siblings’. Nothing worse than a coven of witches with a magic beyond the understanding of anyone in this group beyond yourself. So you tapped into your teaching, in that horrid dark power and used it to banish your siblings back where they came from. You hated every second of it, feeling that darkness spread and urging you to use more power.
Retreated and resigned you distanced yourself, crying yourself to sleep whenever no one was watching at the resurfaced memories, knowing you’d now be a risk to your friends-your new family and fearing they might ditch you just for that. Veth noticed though. She heard your sniffles in the night and came to check up. She didn’t say anything but gave you this sad smile as she put your head in her lap and stroked your hair until tears stopped. She keeps doing so until you feel safe and comfortable once more. You’re her family too. She’ll kick some witch ass any day for you.
(Jester)
Magical and divine patrons are not always like Jester’s. If anything Jester was lucky to end up charming the one she did. You envy her for it. Questions about your patron were asked left and right by the others and the blue tiefling of course. Who is your deity? Are they cool like the Traveler? Or are they more lame and only speak to you in winds and lightning? Your deity whispers alright. You’ve ran far and wide to get away from her but she’s relentless and you’d rather spare the Nein her wrath or be forced to turn them into some sacrifice for her. You’d die before you’d let that happen. You’d never use your abilities granted to you by her. Not if you can help it.
Of course it had to be the overbearing archfey himself to ruin everything. He’d been iffy about you and when he questioned Jester about you and your ‘deity’ in the hopes of possibly converting another lost soul to his cult, he quickly came to regret it when he put two and two together. Next thing you know you’re in the middle of a fight and invoke a death by a thousand cuts on your enemies. Your mistress relishes in this bloodshed and you’re so afraid of the aftermath of that power.
Jester doesn’t understand why you’re so panicked and paranoid in the aftermath of something so awesome. Sure, maybe a little much but you absolutely obliterated that monster carving it to shreds without even touching it! You have to come clean and swear over her shoulder you can see the green and red glare threatening you not to harm the girl and keep your shit to yourself but you decide fuck it. He created this mess. So you spill all the beans about being favoured by the Bloody Siren herself who now haunts your life. Maybe the Traveler can be your new patron. Let’s see how Vesh likes that one. Let’s see how long he lasts against her…
(Caduceus)
Caduceus doesn’t know a single thing about arcane magic. He’ll be the first to admit. That’s more your expertise and he’s glad to let you take the lead when it comes to the subject. But that doesn’t explain your vast knowledge of death. Everything from anatomy to preserving the remains of the departed. You even know a thing or two about healing it seems but your touch is rougher and not always as considerate of your patient as his own when it comes to it. At first he chalked it up to you having learned from books rather than people but that image seems unlikely at this point. Nevertheless, it’s not his place to dig in your personal business.
You’re trapped, outnumbered, low on spells and surrounded by the bones of the dead you’ll soon join at this rate. You can’t get out without getting into the line of fire and don’t know where the fire is coming from. They’ll smoke you out. You’ll have to come out some point. The Nein is making plans but to no avail. Caduceus overhears you whispering prayers to the Wild Mother, and the Raven Queen asking for their forgiveness. It’s then he notices you carving arcane symbols into a skull and watch a skeleton come to life, and you repeat the process.
Having distanced yourself from the friendly firbolg who’s grown a bit more resigned since your grand and skeletal escape, you’ve been spending your time leaving offerings to the Wild Mother. It’s there he faces you. The conversation is a bit awkward and rough but Caduceus understands why you’ve hidden this ability and he can sympathise with your feelings. He doesn’t hate you for doing what you did but agrees with your sentiment this indeed is a curse best left to the dark and forgotten places.
(Yasha)
Your taste for your meals, specifically meat on the rarer side of things went very well along with Yasha’s own tastes as you two bonded over the culinary discoveries and delecacies, though for meat, still bloody seemed your preference. Any other types would leave a bit on edge and moody but that’s nothing a walk into the forest, fields or wherever else couldn’t fix. You just needed some time to yourself, right? Yasha understands certain foods not being as satisfying as others but the way you eyed that rat in the cage once… that was something else.
In a bit of a pickle your weapons knocked away from you, grappled and restrained you felt a knife plunge into your stomach and the spots dancing in front of your eyes did not do you well. So you took your chances when your attacker’s arm crossed near your face, right within biting range. You saw Yasha cutting through another enemy but you couldn’t take another hit before she got to you or you’d be done for so you bit down, tore through the flesh of your attacker, meeting the eyes of the barbarian who despite her rage, still looked shocked.
You hadn’t tasted humanoid blood in a while and your hunger set in strong. You couldn’t contain your bloodlust and instead revelled in it. But once you came down from that high you had half the mind to run and never look back. Yasha didn’t let you. She told you you look a badass warrior, clawing your enemies apart, tearing them to bits with your teeth. She’d never seen anything like it but that power, that’s something to be admired. Maybe you can both work on finding ways how to wield your strengths together?
(Mollymauk)
Molly doesn’t really comprehend why one would diminish their potential or hide gods-given abilities and gifts. They were given for a reason and now they’re yours, so why not use them? If someone hands you fifty gold, are you just supposed to not spend it? He had a hard time believing you when you told him you’re not remarkable and gifted like him. He’d make a point just to show you how remarkable you are at every opportunity and don’t you argue because you’re amazing. He’ll make you smile and laugh and make a fool out of himself if he has to.
Not all fights are physical. Sometimes a battle is one of wits. The Nein had been failing, not able to offer something to satisfy your enemy. Molly is not unfamiliar with the concept of infernal dealmakers but he never considered you to be one to possess that ability. When your eyes went fiery orange and your smile changed to a twisted one, it didn’t take long to have a devilish contract signed in blood to seal the deal with this enemy. The sheer amount of loopholes and clauses you managed to turn into your favour is astonishing.
But upon completion your smile did not return, and your fingers remained twitchy. Never had you thought to find yourself to giving into what you and your family had spend generations repressing. You know the risks and dangers that come with it but before you had any opportunity for the fight or flight instincts to kick in when facing the Nein, Molly had an arm wrapped around your shoulders, guiding you along, seeing how much this pained you. For the first time he truly understood why you wouldn’t use something like this. He’d do anything to make you more at ease and feel comfortable in your own skin again.
(Essek)
Time is something so delicate. So many things undiscovered and simply impossible to figure out. Essek doesn’t like the implication of that word; impossible, in the context of time. His study of dunamancy is just testament to that. You might not be a prodigy in the fields he is but you have a reasonable understanding of it given your field of expertise is divination. It’s all patterns and numbers in the end and both you and Essek know that in the past creatures have been able to affect time to an extend. The possibilities are endless, just not studied deeply enough. You’ve been Essek’s voice of reason in the past, when he loses sight of the bigger picture at hand.
Aeor has been a place of many secrets, some regarding or connected to dunamancy. It’s been an interesting place of research for the both of you but holds many dangers. You faced plenty of these horrid creatures left to roam. And when one was about to take a big chunk out of Essek, you stepped in. You saw it happen. Saw the drow bleeding out, in pain, saw him meeting his end, so you stepped in. You called upon the endless void within yourself, and changed just a single thing, moving in between the cracks of linearity and suddenly the creature overshot, allowing you to get Essek out of the way just in time.
Essek is no fool. He knows when larger magics are at play and the guilty look in your eyes is enough to say you know what’s up. He appreciates you at least still had the mind to get both of you out of the maws of that beast and to safety before you explained what happened. You were practically shaking. Essek went over the many possibilities and potentials of that kind of time manipulation. Though, when you told him the price was years off of your own life to do so, those plans fell to shreds. He’d not sacrifice your life for this. He cares too much about you.
summary: beau says some shitty things to caduceus, and he comes to you. no matter what he thinks, you love him and you make sure he knows that he's not broken. (part 2/13 of the kindness series, a thematically connected series of c2/exu imagines)
word count: 1.6k
warnings: unintentional acephobia / arophobia (beau says some shitty things, but from a place of ignorance)
note: i am def not to the c2 episodes where cad is introduced but i love him already, so i'm not sure whether or not my characterization is on point or not, but in this house we love and respect aro/ace caduceus!!!!!
masterlist - request - support my work? - ao3
You know his feelings, and he knows yours. That’s why you and Caduceus get along so well, despite life on the road. There’s always some sort of friction in the group, even though it’s quickly smoothed over and forgotten. Things like that, though, never happen between you and Caduceus - which is something the rest like to point out with thinly-veiled jealousy when they’re in a tuff with another of the group.
Just thinking about your frictionless relationship with Cad makes you smile. You know that he doesn’t really get the way other people fall in love, or lust depending on who it is, and sometimes that makes you sad. But not sad in a way that you’d want him to change - Gods no. You love him for the way he is, and you know he loves you for the way you are. It doesn’t stop you from thinking about another life, another place, though.
That’s mostly irrelevant. You’ll be the first to admit, when you first found Cad and he joined your merry band of adventurers, you’d harbored a rather large crush on him. That, originally, started your kindness campaign toward him. Selfish, yes, but you don’t regret it. It has made you the closest friend you’re sure you’ll have in your entire life. He’d kept mostly to himself before you reached out to him, being nicer and nicer until… Well, until he started to return the favors.
That’s what makes you two work so well together. Everyone else is resistant, honestly, to the way you want to be nice to them. You know they have their reasons, so you don’t push. Eventually they are kind to you and, though you don’t do it just so that others will be nice to you, it’s a warming feeling to know that you have some impact on the people you travel with.
Caduceus is the one that goes out of his way the most for you, though. He’s the one that will prepare your meal in the way that you prefer, but Caleb hates, and adjusts Caleb’s accordingly. He’s the one that will listen to you and Jester fawn over Oskar, even though he’s not interested in the romantic or sexual aspects of Tusk Love. He’s the one that will hear you having a nightmare and wrap his large, warm body around yours to comfort you in the middle of the night. He is your best friend, and you’re his. (After the Wildmother, of course. You’d never get between them. It’s so clear how fond he is of her, and how fond she is of him.)
But all of these things, the history the two of you share and how close you are compared to the rest of the Mighty Nein, are the reason Caduceus comes to you late at night, tears wetting the fur on his face. It’s late, and you were asleep, but your door is open to anyone in the Might Nein. Cad knows this, which is why you’re surprised that he is knocking.
“Caddy,” You reach for his hand and guide him into your room, “What’s wrong?” He doesn’t say anything, opting instead to drape himself over you in a warm, strong hug. You feel his breathing stutter and then pick back up, a telltale sign he’s been crying for some time. Your stomach drops like a stone, “Hey, let’s sit down on the bed, okay? And then we can talk if you want or we can just sit.” He lets you lead him to the bed, but as soon as he’s at, he curls up with his back towards you and shields himself as much as possible with his arms. It’s like he’s afraid of you, sobs returning to jostle his body on your bed.
You let him have his space, stepping back but reminding him that you’re here - for him, in the room, for the long haul. You can’t let Caduceus think he’s alone in whatever he’s going through, because he’s not. He’s not alone, never, not with you around. Your heart breaks as he whimpers and rolls over, reaching a hand out for you. There’s no hesitation in your mind when you crawl into bed and let Cad fold himself around you, holding you so tightly that you’re afraid that he’ll break. “Caddy, I need you to calm down,” You wrap your arms around his middle, scratching lightly at the fur on his back to try and comfort him.
“Am I broken?”
“What?”
“Am I broken?” And then he says your name, pleading and so filled with sorrow, that it chokes you up for a second. “I think I might be broken.”
“Caduceus Clay, you are not broken,” You whisper, voice shaking as you pull him impossibly closer, eyes cresting with tears as you look, unseeing, at the wall over his shoulder. He’s buried his face in the crook where your neck meets your jaw. “I don’t know why you would think that, but I know you are not.”
He sniffles. “Beau said…” But he cuts himself off, jaw snapping shut with an audible sound as he squeezes his arms around your waist. You can feel his hands shaking as they clench in your sleep clothes.
“Beau says a lot of shit,” You turn your head to nuzzle your nose against the back of his large ear, hoping to bring some sort of comfort to him. Whatever she said to him has gotten him more worked up than anything you’ve ever seen, “She says a lot of shit and sometimes she doesn’t mean it, and sometimes she doesn’t really get what she’s saying. She’s an empire kid, Caddy, they’re sheltered and unsure and kind of… Well, they’re assholes. Beau is not immune to Empire Kid Asshole Syndrome, just like Caleb isn’t.” He shudders, a fresh round of tears wetting your neck and the fur on his face. “Cad… Caddy, come on, what did she say?”
“We were in Jester’s room,” He begins, voice calm but small, “And she was talking about Tusk Love again. Nott asked a question - about, I don’t know, I think our first time, but I don’t… I’ve never…” You press a kiss against his fur when he begins to work himself up again. He sucks in a shaking breath, “And I told them, and the Beau asked why and… There’s not a reason, I don’t suppose.”
“There doesn’t have to be a reason,” You whisper, “But if you want a reason, the reason is that this is how you’ve chosen to live.”
Caduceus continues like he doesn’t hear you, “She said that there’s no point to having friends, to being so close to you, if nothing will come from it. She said that life is about love and sex and finding someone to share it all with. She said that I was leading you on. That you’re in love with me.”
You whine low in your throat and push on Cad’s shoulders so he’s looking at you. You want him to not only listen to what you’re about to say, but hear it. He looks so sad, ears pulled back and eyes glassy. “I am not in love with you, Caduceus Clay. I love you. There is a difference. Once, yes, I thought that I might have been able to fall in love with you, but I know how you feel. What you feel is real, do you understand?” You pause for him to respond, but he just looks at you. “You do not need love and sex to live life, okay? And love - you have so much of it. I love you. The Mighty Nein loves you. The Wildmother loves you. You have so much love in your life, and if that is enough for you then that’s enough for you. Nobody has any say in what you want from life except you.”
“Am I hurting you? By not being able to fall in love with you?”
“No,” You say firmly, “Your worth is not measured by your ability or desire to fall in love.” Cad shifts on the bed, and you pull him closer, settling your forehead against his, “I’ll talk to Beau in the morning, okay? She will apologize to you - either this is a misunderstanding, or she was being intentionally malicious, but there will be an apology.”
His eyes slip closed, and the sigh that follows shakes as it leaves his body. Some of the tension melts away and you let one of your hands move up his body - making sure he knows you’re aiming for his face - until your thumb can rub soft circles in his cheek. “Do you believe me?” You ask, voice soft as he begins to come down.
“What?”
“Do you believe that you’re not broken? That you just are who you are? That it’s okay?” You press your nose against his for a brief second. Just a moment of comforting intimacy, but you don’t press it. “Do you believe what I said?”
“I’m not sure,” He stutters a little bit, frown tugging slightly at his lips, “I think that I could come to believe it because you wouldn’t lie to me.”
“Never,” You promise in a strong voice, despite whispering to him, “I would never lie to you. I’m not lying to you.” You shift a little, twisting your legs with his long and lithe ones, “Let’s get some rest tonight, and I’ll set Beau straight in the morning, okay?” You know he’s already tipping off toward sleep, his body warming and becoming pliant in your arms. Caduceus only hums and nods, one of his ears twitching as your breath hits it when you chuckle. Tomorrow, you’ll bring your wrath down upon Beau - lightly, because you’re almost positive she didn’t mean what she said and probably phrased it horribly wrong. Tomorrow, you’ll set it straight with the rest of the Mighty Nein, too - that not wanting romantic love, or sexual things, does not make someone broken. You’ll educate them and, if you get any pushback, you’ll make sure they know that if Cad walks, you walk.
Can I get 9 with it ending with 10 from the trope prompt list with Caduceus please? I love all your writing. 💖
You and Caduceus had, good-naturedly, argued over who gets the bed. Not fighting for yourselves, of course, but insisting that the other take the bed. It was creeping into late, late evening when you gave up, offering to share with him rather than either of you sleep on the floor.
Caduceus’ brow furrowed a bit, giving you a careful assessing look. “Are you sure?” He asked.
“Yeah, Cad, it’s fine.” It was fine. Slightly embarrassing on your part, sure, but fine. You quickly tucked yourself into the far side of the bed, curling up as close to the edge as possible to give Caduceus the most room. Caduceus lay as still as possible once he’d gotten into the bed, not wanting to make you uncomfortable.
Sometime before truly falling asleep, in those few hazy moments of near-sleep, one of you reached for the other. You couldn’t say for sure if it was you or him, but it was just one hand holding another before you curled into each other.
When you woke, Caduceus’ large form was engulfing you, his arm holding you securely against his chest. You were warm and felt so very safe. You’d barely made any indication you were awake but this is Caduceus, so of course he noticed.
“Good morning.” He spoke lowly, softly, and you, even though you knew it was innocent, couldn’t help the flush that rose to your cheeks.
“You’re so warm, Cad.” You say, ignoring your blush and snuggling closer into him. Might as well take advantage of this while you could, right?
“You’re a good bed partner.” He replied, causing you to pause. You shuffle, flipping yourself around to face him, a slightly confused look on your face.
“You do realize how that sounds?” You ask, raising an eyebrow and letting out a bit of a chuckle.
“No, I...” Caduceus trailed off, brows knitting together in through before he figure it out. “Oh. I see. I didn’t mean to imply - or make you uncomfortable-“
You can’t help but laugh a little and you lean up, giving a quick kiss to his nose. “It’s alright, I knew what you meant.” You grin up at him. “You’re too fun to tease sometimes tho, Cad.”
Caduceus surprised you by pressing a quick to your cheek, causing you to pause again, staring at him with round eyes and a blush growing back across your face.
“It’s not so bad teasing you, either.” Caduceus said with a soft smile.
“Cad, listen,” you take a deep breath, gathering your courage -
Bam! “We’re heading out in 30.” Both you and Caduceus jumped, Fjord yelling through the door to you. You sigh, pressing your face into Caduceus’ shoulder. He pats your shoulder, then presses another quick kiss to your temple before he eases himself out of the bed.
"You're not coming to my tea party? Beauregard I made biscuits!" You whined, letting out a frown of disappointment. Everyone aside from Caduceus had canceled, they all had studying or shopping or would prefer to hang out with someone else. It was upsetting.
You pouted, sitting down you watched Beau walk away, she wanted to hang out with Yasha and Jester for the day. That left you all alone with your crush.. Caduceus Clay, you weren't sure where he was, and you considered cancelling the day all together, but maybe it would be worth it if the firbolg didn't cancel as well.
Your crush on Cad was lighthearted, being with him made you feel happy and over all just full of joy. He was gorgeous too, beautiful long hair, and his voice was so soothing it could put you to sleep instantly. He was so caring a kind when, he always knew what was wrong and how to help. You admired him more than anything.
An hour passed and you prepared your cookies and biscuits, Cad always came to your fun little events and he promised he would bring tea. You hoped he would keep this promise. Walking to the hill you would be eating at, you notice Caduceus was already sitting down, a kettle of tea set on the ground with only two tea cups and saucers to go underneath them. A soft pink blanket underneath him for comfort, you spot his ears twitch, hearing that you had arrived. It was almost scary how quickly he could notice these sorts of things.
"Oh, you're here y/n, I'm glad you could make it. I heard no one else would be coming, and I got a little worried that you wouldn't show up. I'm glad you did." He smiled, pouring you a glass of what seemed to be a fruity tea. "Take a seat, you picked a lovely area to hold this arrangement, so I suggest you enjoy it." He spoke as you sat down in front of him, a smile on both of your faces, his a more calm smile, yours being more smitten.
"Thank you, Caduceus for showing up. I.. I didn't think anyone was gonna show up since everyone else bailed, I mean, even Yasha left, and she loves these sorts of things." You said, taking a sip of your tea you placed down your baked goods. "Mm! This tea is really good! It's very fruity and sweet." A gap escaped your lips, the tea was delicious, some of the best you had ever tasted.
"Thank you, I tried to make it more accustomed to what you would prefer in a drink." Said the cleric, a calm smile on his lips.
Time passed, you two spoke for a while, until you asked a question unprompted. "Hey Cad, can I braid your hair? It looks super pretty and I wanna see what it looks like styled into a braid!" You spoke, hoping for a yes.
"Why of course you can. Come sit closer to me and I'll give you all the time you need, take your time and make sure to make it pretty" he chuckled, patting a spot close to him, you sat down, getting to work on the braid.
The new hair style ended up great, a pink side braid cascading down his torso, you had placed a couple of wild flowers in the crevices, allowing for a little more flavor in the look thag suited him a lot. "You look great! I hope you enjoy it, if it's too tight I can fix that too, and if you don't like it you can take it out if you want." You spoke, getting a little nervous that he wouldn't like it.
"No no, it's beautiful dear, don't worry. The flowers add a nice touch and I can tell you put a lot of work into it, it's very special to me." His kind words made your heart melt and a red coating arised on your cheeks.
"Thanks, Cad. That means a lot to me, you're very kind and understanding about these sorts of things"
One thing led to another, and what was going to be a cute little lunch hang out turned out to be a full out day with Caduceus, the sun was currently setting, you head on the firbolgs lap as he strokes your hair, humming a song. You could feel the vibrations going through his body, which allowed you to join him, being familiar with the song.
The scenery was ethereal, as the day faded to stars you hummed with him, slowly falling asleep in his lap, the soothing feeling of his lulaby and his calmly touch gave you the chance to drift asleep with him. Neither of you cared what would happen in the morning, whether the nein would find you or not, you were just too focused on the beautiful moment.
Hello! I am in the market for some critical role fic requests, especially characters x reader. If you have any, please let me know! Just nothing too nsfw please ;)
prompt list 40.“You’re sweeter than cake.” with Caduceus if its not too much trouble? <3
Sorry this took so long to complete, anon. It’s a bit longer than I expected it to be. I hope you enjoy!Title: Sweeter Than CakePairing: Caduceus x readerWord Count: 2435
It feels good to be back in Zadash. Your adventuring party had dragged you all across the continent of Wildemount and beyond, to the shores of the Menagerie Coast and the waves of the Lucidian Ocean. Finally back in the Empire, you were more than happy to put the relatively lawless ways of the ocean and pirating aside. You had missed this, just walking along the cobbled streets, passing the various vendors out and about with their wares in the Pentamarket. The city was a hectic place, bustling with activity, but it definitely was preferable to struggling to survive on a boat in the middle of the ocean. This was downright relaxing, comparatively.
“Man, I can’t believe Caduceus has never had a birthday party,” comes the trilling voice of Jester as the two of you stroll along the boulevard. The easily excitable tiefling skips along beside you, occasionally linking arms with you for the briefest of moments before rushing off towards whatever stall or tent catches her eye. You, however, have a goal in mind, a very specific goal.
Leaving the rest of your party back at the Leaky Tap, you recall the conversation that brought you here, snooping about the Pentamarket in search of the best variety of baked goods you could find. The subject of birthdays had arisen, and Jester had been very eager to share the details of the various past parties her mama had thrown for her as a little girl. This had led to each of you throwing in your two copper on the matter and your own personal experiences.
Of course, you hadn’t missed the far off look on the firbolg cleric’s face that spoke of fond memories. He had lazily scrubbed at his brilliant pink beard with that thoughtful expression he always wore, commenting plainly on how many seasons it had been since he last celebrated a birthday with his family. And when you had questioned him further on the subject, he appeared to grow sheepish and told you about how his family never really threw “parties,” per se. Birthdays seemed more a day to ponder your personal growth and reflect inwardly on how best to serve the Wildmother. Seeing that this answer didn’t exactly satisfy you, he then made mention that his parents would always cook his favorite food, at least.
You can understand; Caduceus is an incredibly humble individual, after all, and humble celebrations seem enough to please him. Still, you can’t quite shake the odd lingering disquiet you feel. You care for all of your comrades, but the firbolg cleric is very dear to you.
From the first time you had laid eyes on him, he had exuded such a calming aura and had been a paramount force in overcoming your grief and coming to terms with the losses you all had sustained on the road thus far. He always made time to listen when you came to him with a problem, offering helpful advice. He was so insightful, even if he was a bit naïve to the outside world. You’d both promised to lean on each other for support whenever the need arose. It was for your mutual benefit, and ultimately the good of the group, you’d told yourself.
It seemed to just come naturally that you had then fallen for him.
You want to do this for him. He deserves it after everything Caduceus has done for you. For all of you. He deserves to know that he is irrevocably and undeniably a beloved member of the Mighty Nein.
“Oh, what about this one?” Jester’s attention is caught by a baker placing hot fruit pies out to cool in a store window. The aroma seeping out the front door smells nice; the sweetness of candied fruits and the savory scent of freshly baked breads combine and you find yourself leaning forward in that direction to catch more of the delicious fragrance. Your feet move almost of their own accord, drawn in by the promise of tasty treats within. The tiefling cleric is very eager to bound to your side, linking arms with you once again as the two of you enter the shop.
The tinkling of bells announce your arrival, even though the front door is already wide open. Magic almost seems to permeate the air; there’s a palpable buzz of arcane energy, intertwined in the heady scents of the pastries. A young woman wipes her hands on her apron and looks at you, and you can see she is of some sort of Elvish descent; half-elf, you wager. Her blue eyes twinkle at you and though she is fair of face, you can see shining silver strands among her ashen brown hair. It seems impossible to determine her age, as you know that half-elves generally live longer than a human yet not as long as a full-blooded elf.
She regards you with friendly curiosity and a warm smile. “Welcome,” she says, a lilt to her voice that reminds you of a certain lavender-skinned tiefling, and you smile in fond remembrance, “Can I help you find anything today?”
A brief, but detailed conversation ensues, occasionally interrupted by one of many of Jester’s seemingly endless lines of random questions. The clerk seems to have infinite patience. You describe the occasion and general idea of what you’re looking to buy, and she is very helpful in selecting a treat of appropriate taste and size. You leave with a cake box of a medium size and a sense of accomplishment and anticipation. You hope Caduceus will like it.
When you reach the Leaky Tap, your eyes search for your ragtag group. You find them quite easily; even in the dim lighting, Caduceus’s tall frame and pink hair are not difficult to spot. The firbolg’s back is to you as he converses with Fjord and Beau, but Caleb is the one to meet your gaze. A quick assessment of you and the package you hold and he gives you a knowing look when you silently plea for him not to spoil the surprise. He puts his head back down to the book he’s reading but you catch a small glimpse of a smile he tries to hide.
You glance at Jester and the tiefling is practically vibrating in excitement beside you. Her hands go to press upon your shoulders and urge you closer. You can feel your heart beating faster. Together, the two of you cross the room as inconspicuous as you can. Fjord and Beau glance up and over Caduceus’s shoulder, eyes widening and eyebrows cocking, and that gives him the clue to turn around; and that’s when the two of you begin to sing.
It’s entirely worth it. You inhale deeply as Jester and you belt out a somewhat harmonious rendition of Happy Birthday. Your arms present the wrapped confection, held out before you as you circle the table to set it down. Caduceus’s expression is filled with mild surprise and wonderment, his light pink eyes travelling over the expanse of your face before trailing down to the cake box you hold and then back up to meet your eyes. His smile is warm and gentle and you think you can see a faint warming of color bloom across his cheeks. It might just be a trick of the light; you aren’t certain.
“Well,” he says, in that low, rolling rumble of his, “This was unexpected. How nice.” He retracts his hands from where they were folded together on the table before him, and you set down the box. He sits there, eyes glued to you and your face, still smiling, lazy and content.
You puff your chest up in pride and gesture to the box before him. “Well, go on. Open it.” And, watching as those large hands of his move to the simply-tied string holding the container closed, your own fumble together, twisting and wringing as you bite your lip in earnest. “I hope you like it.”
What he reveals is the modestly decorated cake you had picked out. Instead of icing, you had asked for powdered confectioners sugar to be sprinkled liberally about the sponge. The cake itself was actually a dome of a lovely muted shade of green tinted with brown from the baking process. It is a simple design, nothing too fancy, as you had chosen it for flavor rather than looks.
Despite the outward humbleness of the cake’s appearance, Caduceus looks pleased. “Oh, wow. Look at that. That looks…” He closes his eyes and inhales the sweet scent, and you can practically see his eyes roll back in his head beneath his fluttering lids. His smile grows. “I know this smell. It’s wonderful.”
“I thought you would. It’s a tea cake… or, rather, it’s a cake made with tea. Green tea,” you correct yourself.
His head turns and a hand goes to wrap gently around your shoulder and pull you down to him into a hug. “You got me a green tea cake. That’s so nice. You didn’t have to get me a cake.” There’s a light note of bashfulness to his voice and you smile, returning the hug.
“I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to do something nice for you,” you admit, heat rising to your face and you silently thank the gods that there is very low light in the tavern. “You’re always doing things for us, healing us, you know.”
“Yeah, Caduceus,” the other cleric chimes in, that teasing note in her voice as she pops up over on the other side of him, “And you know we wouldn’t do this for just anybody, you know? We really like you. And, I mean, some of us really, really like you. Like, a lot. Like, just so much, you know, so—“
Dear gods, she really did have to just ham it up, didn’t she. You shoot her a glare from behind Caduceus’s back before Fjord pipes up.
“I think the man gets it, Jester,” he says, clearing his throat and trying to inconspicuously glance between the two of you with a look. The air has gotten noticeably warmer, or maybe that’s just you. Either way, you’re grateful for the interference.
The tiefling has the audacity to shoot you an innocent look, despite the mischievous smile clear behind her eyes. When Caduceus turns to look up at you, she makes a rather inappropriate gesture in your line of sight. You want to smack her, but Caduceus grabs your hand and your attention.
“Thank you so much. This is more than anyone’s ever done for me in a long time. Really, thank you.” His eyes are squinted with delight as he looks up at you and his long ears do a happy little flick, and it is the most adorable thing you think you’ve ever seen; a seven-foot-tall, pink-haired firbolg being absolutely giddy at being able to celebrate his birthday so far from his home. He tugs gently on your hand. “Come sit. Let’s eat.”
From his pack, Caduceus produces a set of cutlery to start cutting the cake and you take them gently from his grasp to divvy up the slices yourself. You reserve him the first and biggest piece after sizing up just how much to give to everyone else, after which you all eagerly dig in.
The flavoring is subtle and not overly sweet and you can tell from the expressions of your compatriots that it had been a good while since they had indulged in something to satisfy their sweet tooth. Beau, Jester, Fjord and Nott all seem to devour their shares within mere seconds, whilst Yasha, Caleb and Caduceus each take their time and savor the experience.
You’re focusing so intently on Caduceus’s reaction, taking in every minute shift in expression with each bite he takes, how he seems to chew so methodically and ensure he gets everything out of it; the taste, the texture, every little nuance and flavor he can possibly experience. It’s downright mesmerizing how one man can be so thorough and savor each little bite.
Jester’s foot connects lightly with your shin under the table, snapping you out of your reverie. Maybe you’d been staring for a bit too long. You snap to attention, bashfully returning you your slice and finishing it off. It was delicious and so worth the cost.
A quick prestidigitation spell cleans off the plates and utensils and you help Caduceus gather and sort them all and put them away while the rest of your crew begin to go about their own independent business. Caleb sticks his nose back into his spell books; Nott has slipped into the crowd and disappeared; Fjord and Jester have gotten into some conversation about what plans to make for the coming day; Yasha is brooding in a corner; and you think you see Beau wandering over to the bar, practically itching to start a tavern brawl.
You, meanwhile, are pointedly not looking at Caduceus, fixating yourself on cleaning up the remnants of dessert and simply enjoying the relative silence before things get too rowdy. After a moment, you steel your nerve, asking, hopefully, “Did you like it?”
You don’t know how he does it, how he’s always so content all the time, how easily he grins like the cat that ate the canary, slowly, languorously. Somehow the world just melts away and it’s only you and him. “I did, thank you.”
“And it wasn’t too sweet?”
“Mm-mm,” he shakes his head, pink eyes warming over your face, “The cake was sweet, but…” He lifts one large hand, fingers outstretched, and you are powerless to move away as he gently swipes them down your cheek. As he pulls them away, you see a small smudge of powdered sugar that he brushes his thumb over. You lift your hands to your face, semi-self-conscious now of having any more sugar there, feeling the blush rapidly rise to the surface; you pray the light is low enough that the firbolg doesn’t notice.
But then he looks earnestly into your eyes and you catch your breath. His face is so close now that his breath fans across your lips. His thumb catches your chin and he leans in to peck gently at your lips, and you’re melting all over again.
Caduceus pulls away from you, and you see his tongue flicker out to pan over his bottom lip just briefly. Honestly, you feel a little woozy. Did Caduceus just… kiss you? Did that really just happen? You could die happy. He smiles.
“Just as I thought,” he rumbles, “You’re sweeter than cake.”
